


The Unrequited Love Poem

by Ly__canthrope



Category: Motorcycling RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 16:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ly__canthrope/pseuds/Ly__canthrope
Summary: How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?





	The Unrequited Love Poem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OnthePole](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnthePole/gifts).

_ “Next year I will not compete in the championship. I will finish my career in MotoGP this season. This is a decision I've been thinking about for a long time and it's a very hard decision because this is the sport I love…” _

The words come out of his mouth mindlessly, rehearsed and recited multiple times in the mirror.

_ “... I can say I achieved way more than I expected and I'm very proud of everything I've done in the sport...” _

The emotion barely bleeds through his words, stoic and robotic masks the hurt that tortures him from within. 

_ "...Thanks to everybody who has helped me and now it's time to start a new chapter." _

Dani has to fight off the grimace that threatens to contort his face as he spits out the ending line of his announcement. The words, bitter and heavy on his tongue, are now free to the world and supposedly ‘off his shoulders’, yet the pain still remains causing his chest to tighten with every breath. 

The words don’t even sound like his, a speech made up by his media team that allows him to back out of the championship graciously. Yet Dani doesn’t know what is worse; the fact that he failed to write his own speech, leaving his departing team to construct his last words, or the heart-broken expression on his team member’s face when he broke the news to him. Marc’s shocked look still tears Dani into two, the grief that was painted across the younger Spaniards face stirred emotions in him; an exacerbated mix of disappointment, sadness and regret swirled so strongly in the pit of Dani’s stomach that he had sudden felt the need to throw up. The hug that Marc gave him was not enough to chase away the nausea, or fix the wound Dani had just inflicted upon the pair of them. It was barely a band-aid. 

It is the solemn applause that drags Dani back into reality and he is careful to retain his sobered expression but he can’t mask the tears that burn across his eyes, threatening to spill over as the painful reality of his retirement steps forth. As soon as he stepped out of the media room, everything changed; nothing felt the same anymore, his sense of belonging cut and he felt awfully alone. The rest of the season was filled with sympathetic looks and a bounty of praises, all initiated by the unsurprising news and for Dani, it all just felt hollow and fake.

-

It’s been a fear that has plagues Dani’s mind ever since he publicly lost his seat. A fear that has turned into a nightmare and now into reality. It is hard watching the person that holds all of your affection drift away. It began in the second half of the season, after the blinding news of Jorge Lorenzo’s new appointment, when Dani began to notice the tiny things. The small indications that he was losing  _ him _ . 

It was subtle; an increase of happy gazes towards the Mallorcan then followed by a couple of lingering touches, shoulders bumping, the loud cackle of laughter. Each little thing that used to be directed towards him, now gifted towards an old rival. And every time it happened, the wound in his chest widened and the pain got a little harder to handle. What should have been reassurance, only filled Dani with false hope and the dread of disappointment; countless times as the final race in Valencia loomed closer, the boisterous 25 year old would remind Dani that they would never lose contact, that he was “stuck with him forever”. It was almost cute how convinced Marc was that things wouldn’t change, as if their whole dynamic wasn’t turned upside down. 

“You began as my idol and now you are my friend. I don’t forget my friends” 

It was all lies and forgotten by the end of the race in Motegi; Marc swept up in celebration of another consecutive championship leaving Dani with his tail tucked between his legs as he headed back to the garage. That night he celebrated with the teams; a smile on his face because he was happy for Marc, so proud of his younger companion for pulling off an extraordinary feat and they drank and danced the night away. But a wave of sadness hit Dani in the stomach mid way through the celebration, a harsh reminder that this will be the last time he would be honoured to experience such a celebration with Marc. The feeling had left a sour taste in his mouth for the rest of the night. 

What was once subtle, now grew louder. With only a handful of races left and all Honda staff now focused on the upcoming summer and the potential a new season brings, Dani was consequently pushed aside. Marc didn’t frequent his side of the garage anymore and there were no longer post-race hang outs where they debriefed about the weekend and joked around. Time spent together was now replaced with time spent with Lorenzo, the champion conversing with the newest addition to the factory more regularly and they looked  _ so damn happy _ . 

It became so much worse when the ‘Dream Team’ consistently commented on each others posts and a mix of ‘ _ Guapa!!!!’  _ and emojis demonstrating the growing bond. It felt like Dani was on the outside looking in, viewing what used to be his relationship with Marc now exchanged with Jorge. As each day passed, the bond between friends weakened and went unnoticed. 

He didn’t even bother throwing a farewell party, choosing to only have a quiet dinner with his team, pointedly failing to invite his now ex-teammate and it was the action that nailed the coffin shut. His chapter with Honda was over. His friendship with the bright-eyed Spanish champion was left to disintegrate into nothing and now as Dani looks back, 8 months into the next year, he realised that the friendship that he has always treasured was over the moment he said the words. 

“I’m retiring”. 


End file.
